Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Fractional Precipitation of Nucleic Acid

Abstract

MELVILLE et al.1 have recently used turbidity measurements to follow the fractional precipitation of high polymers from solution. The turbid suspensions were found to be stable if very dilute polymer solutions were used. Nucleic acids are precipitated from aqueous solution by acids, cationic detergents, positively charged polyelectrolytes and alcohol. Stable suspensions are produced when hydrochloric acid solution is used as the precipitant for very dilute nucleic acid solutions, but the use of alcohol rapidly coagulates the precipitate. Solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride give results similar to hydrochloric acid but the suspensions tend to flocculate near the end-point of the precipitation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Melville, H. W., Dunn, A. S., and Stead, B. D., Trans. Farad. Soc. (in the press).

  2. Sadron, C., “Progress in Biophysics”, 3, 237 (Pergamon Press, London, 1953).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cecil, R., and Ogston, A. G., J. Chem. Soc., 1382 (1948).

  4. Signer, R., and Schwander, H., Helv. Chim. Acta, 32, 853 (1949); 33, 1521 (1950).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Matty, S. M. (this laboratory).

  6. Cosgrove, D. J., thesis, London (1950) (this laboratory).

  7. Garner, R. H. (this laboratory).

  8. Porter, M. R. (this laboratory).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MATHIESON, A., PORTER, M. Fractional Precipitation of Nucleic Acid. Nature 173, 1190–1191 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1038/1731190b0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1731190b0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing